Denver Peeps, Part Four: The Coolest Peeps You're Ever Gonna Meet......

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA


My posts are not necessarily  in chronological order, but it doesn't really matter. The stories are true. I felt as if Denver gave me a big welcoming hug upon my arrival.

Meet John Elway's new press secretary.  He had just arrived, and he was one of the first people I met when I started exploring. BTW - John Elway is a big local hero. I heard him being talked about constantly by locals and tourists and saw posters of him everywhere, including at the airport.  I'm dating myself, but I remember him being the nemesis of the Cleveland Browns back in the day of Bernie Kosar and Marty Schottenheimer. We almost made it to the Super Bowl, until the fumble heard around the world. I remember that fumble clearly. We all cried. That's when I gave up football......

Sorry, I digress.  So dude told me he just arrived because John Elway had been arrested and his services were needed to spin the story and repair John's image. Apparently he's a master spinner.

Yeah, dude was talking shit. But he was pleasant, funny and welcoming. He had twinkly eyes and a contagious smile and laugh.  And here's something funny:  he was clean.  In fact, this was something I noticed about the homeless and transients in general. They look nothing like the Cleveland or Akron transients. They are much cleaner, have better clothes, better shoes.

See what I mean?  This is Capital Hill.  There were people from a social agency passing out food, blankets, clothes, shoes, backpacks, water, etc.  I'll try to get you a pic from a soup line in Cleveland to give you a comparison.  I'll tell you what else was refreshing about Mr. Press Secretary. He didn't ask me for money. Of course, a lot of people asked me for money since I had the large neon sign on my forehead that said: TOURIST. But it's okay, I can handle myself. I'll have more to say about poverty in a subsequent post.

By the dollar store I met a couple of good ol' boys from Alabama (their expression, not mine). I wanted to pet the dude's puppy. I approached and gently asked if it was okay to put his pup - you never know pup might be in training. He said in a drawl, "Why sure lil lady, and thanks for asking."  He explained that people approach the pup without asking him first and she doesn't like that.

This guy had the most riveting eyes I've ever seen. He told me he and his buddy had hopped a train from Alabama (I wish I had recorded his voice for you to hear). He said they had no choice. There were no jobs. Alabama (like Ohio) is broke so there's no welfare. He told me he was strong as an ox and wanted to work and that he found an agency like Minute Men, except they don't take a cut of the workers' pay. It's more like a social agency. He also said he doesn't like to give people money unless he can see they are trying to help themselves. Heard that.


I had nothing but mad respect for him. He said he and his dude hopped a train. Slept in the woods at night, and the pup alerted him if any one approached. We talked little about the myths the wealthy like to perpetuate:  1. The Safety Net.  No such thing, doesn't exist.  2. The Free Ride. Again, this is bullshit, it doesn't exist. and 3. That people are lazy and don't want to work.  Also bullshit.  See also post below where I talk about the guy who was putting scrap metal in his car. He's been accused of being lazy.

He told me, hey you do what you gotta do and for a young, strong buck like him that means going where the opportunity is.

Meet Jacob. The story of Jacob is one of synchronicity and mad hospitality. In our search for another lounge, we ended up at the wrong address. He was working in his garden, so I approached. His three legged, rescue pit bull greet me warmly, so the dude knew I was cool  I chatted him up a bit. He said, "Oh are you tourists looking for a place to smoke?"  Indeed. You're welcome to smoke on my porch. I asked our cab driver to come back in an hour. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Again we passed the peace pipe - something we did often in Denver. He shared an out of this world bud with us and we shared one with him. Turns out dude is a chemist and was explaining a lot about strands, and growing methods and something called cytokines. There's a whole science to picking the strand for your physiology. It was good not to feel any pain. We'll get more into medical implications in a subsequent post.

We sat on the porch, smoked, talked and admired his beautiful rose bushes. Turned out his girlfriend was in Cleveland.  Small world. He talked a little about Cleveland, and mentioned the brutal killing of a woman by the cops. Turns out that's my step mom's niece he was talking about. Small world.

A cop drove by.  Out of habit, we hid our joints.  He said, you don't have to do that, it's legal here. He explained the police department was right across the street from him and that he was friends with the local sheriff.  I laughed, kinda like Andy Griffith, I said.  He said, funny. The name of the 'burb we were in was Mayberry.  I'm not shitting you.  That's how the trip was, nothing but synchronicity.

Jacob is an intellectual, and I love talking to intellectuals. It was a great experience that I will never forget.

Meet Yubo. Yubo is one of our kind cab drivers. Since we were smoking, and didn't have a lot of time in Denver, we cabbed it a lot. Cab drivers are great. I love hearing their story, and I learned a lot about the city. They are really ambassadors. Yubo was a gentleman, and really watched my back to make sure I was safe. He arrived at Jacob's house 59 minutes later. He was there right when we were ready to leave. Didn't want to wear out our welcome, and we still had a lot to see. Hugs and love all around.

I love hearing the cab drivers' stories. Yubo is from Nigeria. In fact, we met a lot of East Africans. You have to listen carefully because he's still learning English, but the dude is an intellect. He came to the U.S. looking for his permanent home. He explained the hell he went through with immigration - much like the hell I went through with looking for public assistance. No one gets a free ride in the U.S.  I repeat, no one gets a free ride in the U.S. It's a myth.

He said he first arrived in Columbus, Ohio. People were cruel and intolerant (I have family there. The dude is not lying). So he left. Didn't waste time. Went a couple other places. If it wasn't right, he left. He finally settled in the Colorado mountains and he loves it. My next trip will be all about the mountains.

Think for a minute about this bravery. Okay, imagine you are an average American. Meaning you watch a lot of TV. You speak only English. You decide to move to Nigeria and start driving a cab to support yourself while you find a place to settle. I don't know about you, but I couldn't do it. I Yubo, and others like him deserve props.  To be continued.......


All words and images by Peggy. Not to be used or reproduced in any manner without express permission.

Denver, Part Three: The Coolest Peeps You're Ever Gonna Meet.....

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA

The next day in Denver we needed to find a discreet place to smoke. I'm all in favor (as is any pot smoker) of discretion. Denver is being thoughtful with the roll out of this experiment. I'd like to see it succeed. I'm not alone in this, many would like to see this succeed so it's all about responsibility, hospitality and peace. And hey, why not make some money? You need money to live in this economy. And a lot of it. Oh and BTW - most pot smokers don't drive high. We'll talk about this later, but we had some real cool cab drivers who watched our backs. I love cab drivers! You learn so much from them.

Our friends at Purple Haze gave us an address to a post-industrial area to the west of the city. Cool. I love post-industrial. Should be lots of photo ops. I was a little tired and I thought it might be a great break from the densely populated area of E. Colfax.

We made a quick stop at Subway. Have you tried the turkey with avocado?  Delicious!  We walked in this area, I was in heaven with my little camera.  Clicking away in the gray, drizzly weather. My favorite. I noticed these barracks behind what I'm assuming is a closed factory. Huh. You know you could stimulate the economy and put people to work in those areas growing hydroponic weed. And you know hemp isn't just good for smoking. It makes superior cloth, soap and paper. To cut down trees -when Mother Earth gave us this glorious plant - is a sin.

Or these could be converted to rental spaces for living, or maybe even lounges for people to smoke.

So we ventured into i Bake. We were greeted warmly. You pay for a membership (only $10) and you can hang out as much as you want 24/7. You bring your own smoke and/or pipes, although they have a ton of pipes you can borrow. You also bring your own snack if you want. And it's just a super chill time. Most stuck to themselves and were enjoying their medication of choice. I learned a lot from a local chemist about picking the strain that is good for your physiology. It's all chemistry. I learned just enough to know that I have a lot to learn! 

Had some cool conversations. Sat at the bar and smoked my favorite, Pineapple Express. Chilled to the music. It was heaven. And it was a lifelong dream of mine! I always thought I was going to have to go to Amsterdam to take part in this activity. I was fulfilling this dream in the U.S.!  And it was perfectly legal! Just on a side note: a friend of mine recently traveled to Amsterdam. He told me tourists are not allowed to smoke. Don't know if it's true or not. Please leave me a comment if you know anything about Amsterdam.

Actually, my lifelong dream is to sit in a coffeehouse and smoke a dube. You can't do that in Colorado. They are still being very careful. And I get it. There are kids to think about. Then there's the smell which is offensive to some. Weed smokers do not want to offend. In fact weed makes people better at difficult social situations.  But I think vaporizers are coming a long way. We may actually be able to use vapor in a coffee house. No smell, no smoke in your lungs.

Anyway this was a good time. I was feeling no pain. I was worrying about not a damn thing. We even sat on the porch and watched the rain for a while. 

While we were there we met this dude. Can't remember his name, my bad. Like so many people I've met in the last few years, he fell on hard times. I should mention that before the rain it was like 100 degrees and the sun was beating down. This dude had gotten an AC unit from the garbage. Yep the garbage. He was tearing it down enough to put it in his car - that he was living in. He touched my heart because that dude was in that sun, then in the pouring rain for hours performing extreme manual labor. He finally got it in the car enough that he could drive slowly, and we all prayed that the cops wouldn't fuck with him.

The irony struck me yet again. This is a man who the privileged would call lazy. They would say he doesn't want to work. And they don't have a clue what they are talking about. I sat and watched the dude for quite a while. He was sweating like a pig. He was cutting himself. He got drenched by rain. His muscles rippled cuz the shit was heavy as hell. Once he got it to the scrap yard he would get pennies for it. If that ain't work, I don't know what is.

He was good natured and pleasant to talk to. He did not mind my ignorant Euro-centric questions at all. So I gave him a bud. Hey, the dude's exhausted mentally and physically. Some bud will help him get through the day. I also gave him money for a meal because - I am not shitting you - he was so hungry I could hear his stomach rumbling. He didn't want to take it. But I insisted he take it,  and that he drink some water. I don't know how he didn't have a heart attack. He said in his loving way, "Hey you do what you gotta do." True dat. We shared a group hug, and I told him he's on the right path. I see people do this sort of thing in Cleveland all the time. The difference is in Denver there's some opportunity.

Want more pictures and less words?  Please see my Urban Photo Journal.

All images by Peggy

Denver, Part Two: The Coolest Peeps You're Ever Gonna Meet....

WARNING!  ADULT LANGUAGE AND REFERENCES TO SMOKING MARIJUANA


I headed out to explore Colfax and was immediately transfixed. The heady aroma from weed coupled with the mountain air was exquisite. Although it was too friggin' hot, just like Ohio. I had to stay in the shade and keep hydrated. Every time a breeze went by or a door opened, I breathed deeply of the scent. Ahh, just like walking into a coffee shop or a bread shop, only better. It's hard to explain what the smell of real quality weed smells like. It's like a home made spaghetti sauce that has been simmering and exuding its aromas all day. No that's not quite right. It's like a very fine tea that has been steeped to perfection. No that's not quite right. It's a lovely herbal smell. It's scintillating and very heady. There's a reason the indigenous people of this land passed around a peace pipe. It's because the herb - good herb - not the skunk shit you get in Ohio since it's illegal - is a gift from the planet. That's right it's grown. You don't need Prozac. Weed will do you right. You don't need sleeping pills, weed will do you right. There's a lot of money to be made in the weed industry if we do it right. And Denver is doing it right. But also, there's money to be lost by greedy factions that are destroying the economy (like the pharmaceutical industry). Weed just might be the great equalizer. 'Cause let's face it, the disparity of wealth in this country is part of the problem with the economy. You have to share the wealth and spread it around for a healthy economy. Right now a few fearful out-of-touch people are hoarding the wealth. But sorry folks, those days are soon over. And there's nothing to fear. There's plenty to go around. Just go with the flow.

That's exactly what we did in Denver. We went with the flow and went wherever the cosmos directed us. Man it's great to travel without a plan. Such freedom! At first we were afraid to talk to people about weed. I felt like a defector or as if I had just left East Berlin. I found myself whispering the way I do in Ohio. I'm not shitting you. Everyone reminded me I was not breaking the law and that I could speak freely.  Huh. Speak freely. What a concept. I thought the First Amendment guaranteed that...I have some things to say about the legalities and logistics, but that's for a post in the near future. Right now I want to talk about some of the fabulous peeps I met.

The first place we stopped at was called Purple Haze. It was right across the street from a dispensary. We met a couple of the owners, a lovely couple named Rubin and Stacy. They are ambassadors for Denver. The city should be paying them. They spent a lot of time telling us where to buy smoke, where to buy vaporizers, educating us on the geography of the city and showing us their beautiful, hand blown bongs. And coincidentally, it was Stacy's and my traveling companion's birthdays! It was hugs and laughter all around! Both Rubin and Stacy were articulate, friendly and welcoming.

I was amazed at the beautiful bongs! They are all hand blown!  Reminded me a lot of Seattle, where you see hand blown glass everywhere. I wouldn't even use these they are so gorgeous.

Stacy was kind enough to show me all the pink bongs they had!  Drool!  I can never find modern, pink art glass. I wanted that one in front, but you can't take paraphernalia in the airport - they will put your ass in jail. You can't own paraphernalia in Ohio - they will put your ass in jail. No lie. I swear I stepped into an alternative reality. Our lovely ambassadors told us we didn't need to be afraid to speak about smoking weed. It's legal. It took a while for it to sink in. And it took a while for me to stop whispering.

They even had smurf pipes! Sorry for some of the poor quality of my photos - some of my photos were done on the down low, at first I couldn't wrap my mind around that it's legal. Now there's lots of fine points to the law, which I will get into in another post.

Stacy and Rubin gave us a recommendation for the dispensary right across the street. Isn't it ironic that the dispensary is right next to a liquor store? It is the ultimate contradiction that liquor is legal, and weed is not. Drunk drivers kill people every day. Rape and violence is usually alcohol related. Not pot related. Pot makes you chill. The only thing pot smokers kill is a pizza.

So we ventured into High Level. The smell was, like I've said, heaven on Earth!  Just like walking into Starbucks...well even better than that. It was a pleasure to walk in there and just breathe.

Funny thing about me and my camera. When I get into my Austin Powers mode, almost anyone will let me photograph them and will give me some good face. It's fun, a lot of laughs and all about love. The lovely lady to the left is named Diva, and she's a fashion designer. Gosh, I think I lost her link. As I told you I was still learning to use my Android, so I was a bit disorganized. I'll catch her on my next trip. She was a doll.

As I crossed the street, I met this fabulous lady. She took part in the Occupy Movement for two years. I congratulated her on her bravery and thanked her. We arm chair activists owe the various Occupy Movements a huge debt of gratitude, but the work isn't over. She told me the experience changed her life. I bet. I love meeting a young person who can think critically. She was a doll. And I got another big hug. I remember reading one time that the average human needs eight hugs a day just to maintain balance. More are needed if creative growth is being attempted. Man, I'm in a huge deficit. But I was making up for it in Denver. Now we needed to find a discrete place to smoke. We had signed a statement at our hotel that we would not smoke in our room. That's cool, I don't mind a non-smoking policy. Hey, I don't want to breathe tobacco.  I'm cool with being discrete and polite. I'd like to see this experiment succeed.

The lovely folks at Purple Haze, gave us the address of a lounge where we could smoke and let us sit in their lobby while we waited for our cab.

I felt like queen of the world.  And let me tell ya...it's good to be queen.  To be continued....

All images by Peggy